Masquerade
by rinaissance
Summary: RukaHotaru. 1 of 2 complete. Today, he will make her his, defying his usual rational thinking in the process. Today, he will blackmail her. Inspired by Hale’s Bent Down. OOC?


**Author's Notes:** I made this during break at my part-time job, on a piece of paper. **UNEDITED**. Folie à Deux will be updated once I have finished my Pride and Prejudice essay and drafting/outlining my King Lear coursework.

**_Sa mga curious, oo, Pinay ako. _**

**Summary:** Today, he will make her his, defying his usual rational thinking in the process. Today, he will blackmail her. (Inspired by Hale's Bent Down) Part one of two complete.

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Gakuen Alice same with the song Bent Down. You know the drill.

**Masquerade**  
-shackled wisteria-

_When two people dance together  
One has to lead, and one has to follow.  
When two people fall in love,  
Neither a leader nor a follower,  
Is required to make it spark.  
Love is not about opposing dispositions,  
But of how dynamism in one's actions,  
Strives to achieve equilibrium._

---------

He was pushed to the very limit of his patience, temper and logical reasoning. Beyond doubt and beyond redemption.

Nogi Ruka rarely loses his calm exterior, unless his feelings were provoked to a cathartic state or his manhood was once again trampled without remorse on his part. The accused responsible for his emotional breakdown was a girl, much to his dismay but neither to his surprise nor his classmates'. The fact that it was Imai Hotaru who consciously trod on his manly pride was nothing new to others or to him.

But today was different.

As devils beckoned him to salvage whatever was shamelessly left of his manhood and sanity, his mind was then fixed to achieve one goal:

Today, he will make her his. Today, he will be the one to blackmail her.

No more pretence needed.

No more lies and further humiliations.

He will bring Imai Hotaru down with him.

Not tomorrow, but today.

Slate eyes scanned the room like a hawk, attempting to find the person he was looking for at that very moment, without halting for a second to blink. Time was precious to him. When Ruka has finally come in contact with her purple eyes (but without her looking back), he strode to her seat, from where she was impassively working on her newest invention.

A simple greeting.

"Imai."

A sudden acknowledgement.

"What?"

A look of determination.

"…"

A blank expression.

"Don't stare at me like that."

Masks on

Music starts.

_My conscience is hurting my ear  
But I'm happy as long as you are  
I hide if I can, I don't care where i stand  
As long as you are bent down_

With that he hastily pulled her right arm then her waist towards him, taking her by surprise and outmost confusion. The scepticism written on her face reached him with alacrity and mischief, as he heaved her small body over his shoulders.

The screams on the background were long forgotten, when the girl who was silently hunched on his shoulders, refused to struggle.

Typical Imai Hotaru.

Deadpan as always.

But you know what was intriguing him?

She has not used any of her inventions to him yet.

-------

Ruka was not intimidated by the weird glances thrown unto him, as he walked towards the high school dormitory.

And Hotaru, the same.

He heard no complaint. Not a single word was uttered the moment he invaded her silence. Even when he harshly threw her down his bed, he received no reaction, no matter how eerie it may sound.

But this was Imai Hotaru he was talking about. This kind of response was not new to him.

As she lay, sprawled in his bed, violet eyes dangerously scanned the features of the person towering above her. Ruka just stared at her back, without the sign of giving up.

When Hotaru saw the desperate plea in his eyes (what for, she doesn't know), she knew that he was not going to take advantage of their position.

Him. On top of her.

After all, this was Nogi Ruka we were talking about here.

Oh boy, was she wrong.

_You never said what does it mean  
I'm speaking the same words again  
But I will if you have to fall  
I'm here if you want me at all  
Just as long as you are bent down_

"What is this for?" she blankly asked. No fear was evident in her voice; Ruka can only hear her indifference.

"You know what I want Imai."

She merely rolled her eyes at him. "Sorry, but all of your photos since we were ten have long been sold out."

She was being sarcastic and he was going to play along with it.

"You know as well as I do that I'm not talking about that." He reached for her hands and pinned them down.

She did not retaliate. "If another minute lapses and I am still here stuck in your room, you know the drill. I have no time to play mind games Ruka."

"Me either."

_She feels  
I'm laid out for everything here  
She keeps  
Me away from this song of mine_

And so he kissed her.

He felt her squirm with the pressure he was putting on her lips. She smells of lavender, soft and intoxicating, contrary to her usual behaviour. But he knew, for seven years of being held captive under her blackmails, Imai Hotaru does have a feminine side.

Why? Because she is still a woman.

Eyes wide opened.

It was too late when Hotaru realized what the blonde idiot was doing to her. His lips were soft and yet his grip on her hands was like steel that she felt so weak in his eyes.

Imai Hotaru was not weak.

By and by, she felt herself unconsciously giving in to the kiss, closing her eyes, as his lips pressed deeper and yet gentler. Had it not been for the slow loosening of his tight grasp, a sudden response from her would not have been made possible.

He then fell limply on her side, breaking the kiss for a moment to breathe. And when he finally resumed kissing her, he noticed how she shyly snaked her arms around his neck, looking for support.

When his tongue begged for entrance inside her mouth and she surprisingly invited it in, Nogi Ruka knew it was the right time.

Dear readers, please no perverted thoughts.

FLASH!

When the sound of a camera shutter broke her senses, Hotaru wildly pushed Ruka away from her while sending him the worst death glare she could ever master. What surprised her the most was the one who took a picture of them, _passionately_ kissing.

A monkey.

A bloody monkey outsmarted her.

But that's not what unknowingly hurt and shocked her the most – it was he.

_I don't know why this won't stop  
'cause maybe it just won't stop  
But it will if I hear you call  
But maybe you don't care at all  
But at least you're the one bent down_

He just blackmailed her.

The guy just smirked, while still lovingly looking at her. (Imai Hotaru refused to acknowledge that lovingly was the correct adverb to describe the way he looks at her. She was afraid of commitment.)

"You dare underestimate me Imai Hotaru? I have not become a special star for nothing, you know. And you of all people, should know the lengths in which my Alice can operate."

She slapped him.

"Why?"

There was hurt, confusion and doubt in her eyes. It was apparent as she slowly got up from his bed. He was now facing her back.

_She feels I'm laid out for everything here  
She keeps me away from this song of mine_

Out of nowhere, she turned around and held her newly improvised baka gun an inch away from his face.

"Pay up 2000 rabbits or die with this."

He waved the camera in front of her.

She was ready to pull the trigger.

BANG!

It never came.

"Release the picture if you want. I don't care."

He mocked her, "Are you sure?"

Cold, unfeeling violet eyes locked his bluish grey ones. "You dare underestimate the lengths in which my mind can operate?"

"Touché."

She was walking away and he didn't even care.

"Get lost."

Just when Hotaru was about to turn the knob of the door, she felt him standing behind her.

"Hotaru." Deep, masculine voice engulfed her senses.

She didn't look back.

Masks are off.

The music stops.

"I love you."

_You could be here  
Or you can be here  
As close as I can hold  
Together as were told   
We were the ones bent down_

**Author's Notes: **That's the first part! The next chapter will be Hotaru's reaction but I assure you that's it's merely the conclusion of this supposed to be oneshot. The next chapter will be put up when I feel like typing it. This fanfic is **UNEDITED** so if you see grammatical mistakes, please tell me.

Review? When I read reviews, the easier it is for me to do my King Lear and Pride and Prejudice, thus a faster update of my fanfics.


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